Automatic stop for phonographs



A. F. BRUHY.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 15. 1919.

1,399,186. Y Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

6, of which is shown,

UNITED STATES ALEXANDER F. BRUHY, OF WEST BEND, WISCONSIN.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

Application filed October 15, 1919. Serial No. 330,718.

To all w item it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALE ANDER F. BRUHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vest Bend, in the county ofWVashington and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Automatic Stops for Phonographs.

My invention relates to automatic stopattachments for phonographs or talking-machines, and has special reference to a construction of stop illustrated and described in Patent Number 1,360,879, granted November 30, 1920.

The objects of my present invention are to simplify and reduce the number of parts composing the invention heretofore referred to, and to thereby reduce the cost of manufacture accordingly; and furthermore to render unnecessary any further adjustment of the parts after the machine has left the factory.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1, is a plan view of a portion of a motor-board of the conventional type of phonograph or talking-machine, illustrating the tone-arm in cross-section and by dotted lines, and showing the same with the record supporting table omitted;

Fig. 2, is a transverse sectional view through the motor-board, with parts broken away, and illustrating sufiicient of the motor, located below the board, to show the operation of my improved stop-attachment;

Fig. 3, is a detail in section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

I Fig. 4, is a transverse sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1, the operating-lever being omitted; and

Fig. 5 is a detail hereafter referredto.

The motor-board 1, has mounted thereon the usual oscillating tone-arm 2, the base 3 of which is secured upon said motor-board by means of screws. The motor-board is furthermore provided with the usualopening 4, upwardly through which passes the record supporting table shaft 5, all as will be found in the conventional type of phonograph or talking-machine.

Suspended from the underside of the table 1, by suitable frame work, one of the bars, is the usual motor, of

any desired model and which may be operated by a suitable spring. The motor being of the usual type, I have not thought necessary to illustrate any more of the same than that shown in Fig. 2, wherein 7 designates the governor-shaft, 8 the gove1'nordisk, and 9 the usual flexible strips for carrying the weights. (Not shown.)

Upon the motorboard, disposed diagonally, adjacent to the opening 4 in said board, and held in position by suitable screws, is a metal attaching-plate 10, at the rear end of which may be formed an upturned perforated lip 11, the front end of said plate, in the present instance, being provided with an upturned lip 12, having a slot 13. (See Fig. 4.)

The plate 10 and the motor-board 1, at a point immediately over the governor-disk 8, is provided with an opening 14, preferably circular, in which is mounted for vertical movement, a weighted plunger 15, extending above and below said plate and motor-board. At the lower end the plunger may be provided with a brake-shoe 16, formed of some suitable friction-material, as for instance, felt. Above the attaching-plate 10, the plunger 15 may be provided with a slot 17, adapted to receive in a loose manner the inner end of an operating lever 18, the latter being fulcrumed in the slot 13 of the upturned front end of the attaching-plate, or otherwise supported upon said plate, as may be desired.

Pivotally mounted upon a pin or screw 19, projecting upwardly from the plate 10, adjacent and in rear of the plunger 15, is a vibratory friction-lever 20, which extends at its rear end to a point adjacent the tone-arm and has a portion of its len th lying in front of its pivot immediately adjacent the weighted plunger 15, being held with its adjacent edge in frictional contact with the side of said plunger by means of a light coiled-spring 21, one end of which is engaged by the perforation in the upturned lip 11 and the other end of which is similarly engaged by a perforation 22 formed in said lever 20 in rear of its-pivot 19, so that when not otherwise influenced and the said plunger has been elevated by a depression of the front end of the operating-lever 18, the plunger is supported in such elevated position and with its lower end out'of contact with the periphery of the governordisk 8, by means of the frictionalengagement between the plunger and the adjacent ed e of the lever 20.

becured to the front face of the tone-arm 2, at a suitable distance above the motorboard 1, upon which the tone-arm is mounted, is an angular or L-shaped bracket 23, upon which is mounted and from which depends a striker-arm 2 1. This arm is perforated, as is also the bracket 23, and through these two elements is passed a clamping or friction-screw 25, a springwasher 26, being preferably mounted on the screw between the bracket and arm.

At a suitable point upon the motor-board and to the right of the tone-arm, so as to be in the path of movement of the striker-arm when the tonearm is swung in that direction, is located a stop 27, consisting, preferably, of a pin over which is mounted a rubber-buffer. 1

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing I have illustrated the parts in the position they occupy during the operation of the machine in playing a record, the striker-arn1 being shown as not quite in contact with the rear end of the vibratory-lever 20, and, hence, the latter not yet vibrated by said arm to cause it to release the weighted plunger 15 When, however, as will be apparent, the tone-arm in its travel, causes the striker-arm to contact with the rear end of the vibratorylever 20, the latter is very slightly vibrated upon its pivot 19 inthe direction of travel of the tone-arm, thereby causing its opposite end to withdraw from the weighted plunger 15 and release the latter from its frictional engagement with said lever, The said plunger then falls by its own weight, its friction-shoe 16 contacting with the periphcry of the governor-disk 8 and arresting further rotations of the same, causing an instant stoppage of the motor and hence the machine. And such resumptionof the operation of the machine can only occur by a reelevation of the plunger 15, which, in

this instance, is effected by a depression of the front end of the operating-lever 18, whereby to elevate the weighted plunger from its braking-contact with the governordisk 8. Y

Ordinarily it is only desirable tohave the machine automatically stop at the end of a record being played or operated upon, but, as will be apparent from the following description of the operation of my device, the attachment may be set to stop at any point of the record as well as at the end, or, the machine may be stopped by hand at any point desired, by simply elevating the outer end of the operating-lever 18.

To set themachine so as to. stop at a given or desired point of the record, the operator first swings the tone-arm to the right to its extreme, position 01., SO thatthe striker-arm 24L abuts against a stop member 27 and is turned to the left, (see dotted lines Fig. 1,) after which the tone-arm is swung to the left to a point where the stylus or needle is directly at the point upon the record where it is desired the machine should cease to operate. In bringing the tone-arm to this point, the striker-arm will have contacted with the vibratory-lever 20, and the latter will have served to swing the strikerarm in a reverse direction or to the right a distance agreeing with the position of the stylus or needle in relation to the record. The operator now returns the tone-arm to the point of the record where the playing operation is to begin, the striker-arm retaining its position, and the outer end of the operating or startingdever 18 is depressed, causing the inner end of the lever 18 to raise the weighted plunger from contact or braking position upon the periphery of the governor-disk. When the tone arm has traveled to the point where the striker-arm contacts with the rear end of the vibratorylever 20, the stylus or needle will also have reached that point of the record where it is desired the machine should stop. The con tact ofthe striker-arm with the vibratorylever 20, causes the latter to vibrate slightly but sufficiently to cause it to release and let fall the weighted plunger 15, so thatthe latter immediately resumes its braking-position upon the governor-disk 8, and therefore, all further rotations of the latter are arrested, and hence, the motor stopped.

In Fig. 1 I have shown by dotted lines how .the stop or bumper 27. deflects the striker arm to the left whenthe tone-arm is swung to its extreme position to the right, and it will be seen that the tone-arm in its subsequent movement to the left will quickly bring the striker-arm in contact with the vibratory-lever 20. In order to set the striker-arm atthe desired point for stopping the machine, it-now only remains to move the tone-arm to the left such a distance as will bring the stylus or needle to a proper point above the record, and such may be the end ofthe record or at any intermediate oint.

As the distance between the tone-arm and the governor-disk varies in different makes of phonographs, I may provide for this by providing the vibratory-lever with a series of screw-holes, as shown, for the accommodation of the screw 19.

It will be noted that the stopping action of the attachment is very positive, noiseless, and quick; that after tension is fixed by the screw 25', it need not be again adjusted, such also being true with regard to the spring 21, the latter being made adjustable or not, as preferred; also that the parts composing the attachment are few, simple, and substantial, and there is nothing that can get out of order, require attention after installation, or be liable to become broken or worn.

I have found it advisable to employ some style of stop for limiting the movement to the left of the front end of the lever 20, and such may be located at either side of the pivot 19 and of the said lever. In this instance, I have illustrated the attachingplate 10 as being provided with a small angular plate 28, and this may be either a plate or an upturned lip struck from the plate 10. The plate is bored and threaded to receive a stop-screw 29, and the'latter may carry a set-nut 30, for securing the screw in position when once adjusted. It will be understood that the inner end of the screw is adjusted with relation to the lever 20 so as to limit the vibration of the latter when struck by the arm 24. j

I may also provide the lever 18, at its outer end, with a convenient button 18*, by which the lever may be conveniently opera-ted, and in addition, I may provide the lever with a series of holes 18*, in any one of which the button may be located.

Vhile I prefer to employ the weighted plunger 15, it will of course be understood that the same may be spring-pressed,

If, for any reason, the presence of the striker-arm upon the tone-arm is objectionable, such objection can be overcome by the construction illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein, as will be seen, the striker-arm is omitted from the tone-arm, and the lever 20 has its rear end upturned and connected thereto a vertical extension 20, the same having frictional pivotal connection with said upturned end through a tension-screw 20, carrying a spring-washer 20, and a clamping-nut 20 In this connection a slotted guide-plate 20, may be employed to limit the movement of the lever 20. The extension 20, it will be understood, is set by hand against the horizontal portion of the tone-arm while the latter is occupying a position determined by the stylus or needle upon the record to be played, so that, subsequently, when the tonearm reaches this position it will contact with the said extension of the lever 20 and vibrate the latter to release the plunger, all as before described.

Having described my invention, what I claim, is:

1. In a phonograph, the combination with the motor-board and swiveled tone-arm thereof, of a pivoted vibratory lever mounted on the motor-board, a vertically reciprocating plunger adapted at its lower end to brake upon a moving part of the subjacent motor, said plunger being mounted in an opening in the motor-board adjacent said vibratory lever and adapted to be engaged by said lever and thereby supported in its elevated inoperative position, a spring for normally maintaining said vibratory lever in engaged position with the said plunger, a striker-arm frictionally pivoted upon and carried by the tone-arm, and means positioned upon the motor-board adjacent the beginning of travel of the tone-arm and in the path of the striker-arm for deflecting or resetting the latter after its contact with and operation of the vibratory lever.

2. In a phonograph, the combination with the motor-board and swiveled tone-arm thereof, of a pivoted vibratory lever mounted on the motor-board, a vertically reciprocatingplunger adapted at its lower end to brake upon a moving part of the subjacent motor, said plunger being mounted in an opening in the motor-board adjacent said vibratory lever and adapted to be engaged by said lever and thereby supported in its elevated inoperative position, a spring for 5 normally maintaining said vibratory lever in engaged posit-ion with said plunger, a striker-arm frictionally pivoted upon and carried by the tone-arm, means for adjusting the frictional tension of the striker-arm, and means positioned upon the motor-board adjacent the beginning of travel of the tonearm and in the path of the striker-arm fordeflecting or resetting the latter after its 1contact with and operation of the vibratory ever.

3. I11 a phonograph, the combination with a motor-board and swiveled tone-arm, of a plate mounted on the motor-board and provided with an opening coincident with a 100 similar opening formed in the motor-board, said openings being coincident with the governor-disk of a subjacent motor, a gravity brakeplunger mounted for vertical reciprocation in said openings and adapted at its 1 lower end to brake upon said disk, an oscillating lever pivoted upon the plate and adapted to engage and support said plunger in its elevated inoperative position, a spring for normally maintaining'these parts in 110 their engaging position, and a striker-arm frictionally pivoted upon and carried by the tone-arm for contacting with and oscillating said lever against the tendency of said spring whereby to release said plunger and permit the same to fall to braking position upon said disk.

at. In a phonograph, the combination with a motor-board and swiveled tone-arm, of a plate mounted on the motorboard and provided with an opening coincident with a similar opening formed in the motor-board, said openings being coincident with the governor-disk of a subjacent motor, a gravity brake-plunger mounted for vertical reciprocation in said openings and adapted at its lower end to brake upon said disk, an oscillating lever pivoted upon the plate and adapted to engage and support said plunger in its elevated inoperative position, a spring for normally maintaining these parts in their engaging position, a bracket carried by the tone-arm, an apertured striker-arm mounted on the bracket and extended so as to contact with the oscillating lever to operate the same against the norma tendency of its spring, an adjusting screw extending downwardly through the aperture of the striker-arm and of the bracket, aspring-washer on the bolt, a nut carried by the lower threaded end of the bolt, whereby to adjust the frictional tension upon the striker-arm, and a stop mounted on the motor-board adjacent the beginning of travel of the tone-arm and in the path of the striker-arm for deflecting or resetting the latter after its contact with and operation of the oscillating lever.

5. In a phonograph, the combination with the motor-board and swiveled tone-arm thereof, of an attaching-plate having an opening corresponding with a similar opening in the motor-board and mounted upon reciprocating plunger mounted in the openings of the plate and motor-board and extending above and below the same, said plunger being adapted at its lower end to brake upon the moving part of a subjacent motor, a spring connected with the vibratory lever and adapted to influence said lever so as to normally engage and support said plunger in its elevated or inoperative position, an adjustable stop mounted on the attaching-plate at that side of the vibratory lever opposite the plunger and adapted to limit the movement of the lever in one direction, and a projection carried by the tone-arm and adapted to contact with and vibrate said lever to move the same against the tendency of said sprin LEXANDER F. BRUHY. 

